Scholar, Sister, Supermodel: The Many Hats of Janiya Slaughter

On her dorm desk sits a laptop, a pink and green business purse, and a pair of heels. Her closet is filled with stylish clothing that represents her unique style. She is Janiya Slaughter, a senior Business Management major from Chicago, Illinois. She is the Chaplain of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. The Alpha Zeta chapter, and is the president of Legendary Models modeling agency.

Her passion for modeling inspired her to get involved in Legendary Models. She used to love watching America’s Next Top Model. When she was in high school, she joined a modeling agency where she was able to participate in magazine spreads and various photo shoots while also working for several brands like Dreamy Magazine.

“When I saw that my campus had a modeling team, it was definitely something that I wanted to join,” Slaughter said.

One of her now best friends, Jeremiah, who was in the modeling agency, noticed her not really interacting with other organization members. She showed up to practice early, handled her business, and left.

He encouraged her to run for Miss Legendary Model, and she became Miss Legendary Model shortly after. From that point forward, she stayed in leadership positions within the organization, while simultaneously running for Miss AKA for the term of 2023 -2024.

Slaughter’s experience with the Miss Legendary Model led her further down the path of running for Miss AKA, making her feel a lot more comfortable when our line sisters nominated her for the position.

“I’d gone through the process of it and I knew what to do, like attending pageants … royal etiquette and things like that.”

She had just given up her crown at this time, and it kind of made her want another royal status.

“The Miss AKA position, it just came at the perfect time.”

It came with attending pageants, greeting new royalty as they would come onto campus, participating in the homecoming AKA float, and having splash events.

One day, she’s in Pearl’s, running as Miss AKA, the next, she’s directing models through choreography under bright stage lights. For her, these two worlds don’t compete; they complete each other. Slaughter sees herself continuing modeling in the future, because she was doing modeling before college and has had such a great experience with legendary models.

“It’s definitely something that I see myself trying to continue after I graduate, maybe not as a full-time job, but definitely a side hobby.” 

Slaughters’ favorite Legendary Models’ experience is Legendary Models being so family-oriented.

“I feel like that is the greatest thing that I’ve taken from Legendary every year. Like the people in it that I got to commune with are people that I definitely see going like in the rest of my life with me. These are people who are going to be at my wedding. The aunts and uncles of my future children. Like, it’s a family for real.”

Being a senior, she knows the pressure is real. With five classes on her plate and a demanding workload, school always comes first. She makes it a priority to knock out assignments earlier in the day, so her mind is clear when it’s time for practice or meetings.

Between 1 p.m. and 7 or 8 p.m., depending on the day, she sets aside time to train or regroup, organizing the rest of her responsibilities so school doesn’t spill into her night. It’s a rhythm she’s found that helps her stay sharp, balanced, and in control without letting it all become too much.

When the weight of the world feels too heavy, she knows the first step is to pause.

Slaughter said, “I breathe because I do try to get a lot done at once sometimes.”

She breathes deeply, catching her reflection in the mirror, a gentle reminder that she’s only human, deserving of rest. In those moments, she gives herself permission to step away and find space for self-care. She focuses on the present, grounding herself in what she can control, while letting go of the endless cycle of overthinking.

The future is uncertain, but right now, what isn’t urgent can wait. neeling her head, a quiet prayer escapes her lips. Gospel music follows, its rhythm soothing her soul, washing away the stress, and letting her spirit find peace.

“That’s what I’m learning right now, I’m learning to just pray,” Slaughter said.

Now leaving college as a 2026 graduate, she’d advise other students trying to manage multiple organizations not to overcommit themselves. Yes, it is great to have multiple things on your resume, but if you cannot commit your greatest version of yourself, then don’t do it.

“Oftentimes, we’ll just try to join everything, and then we can’t fully give our best to each organ. And that kind of messes with your representation on campus. You can’t really get the fullest possibilities and the best outcomes in each organization, because you can’t fully commit yourself to it. So really look at your time, look at your class schedule, look at the workloads of those classes, and be like, do I have the time for this org?”

Her roles and responsibilities for each commitment:

Legendary Model – President

• For Legendary Models, she serves as the president. This means she is responsible for setting dates and times for meetings and handling organizational logistics. Their first meeting of the semester typically involves brainstorming the events they want to host throughout the term. From that point on, her role is to ensure that those events are properly planned, organized, and that all necessary materials are secured. She also delegates certain responsibilities, such as events, to other members. Additionally, she ensures that her court is completing all required forms for major events like the Coronation and the Homecoming Parade, allowing the organization to maintain an active presence on campus.

Miss AKA for the term of 2023 -2024

• For the chaplain of Alpha Zeta, she facilitates, hosts meetings, where she’ll pray and do daily devotions and uplift our sisters whenever they text her or need her, but it doesn’t take up as much of her time as legendary models do. 

 Legendary Organizing 

• How she prioritizes, when both organizations are overlapping, events or deadlines, is by keeping communication open with her modeling team and also mentioning whatever information they may need to know until she gets there.

“We all run the practices and events together, so they know how to operate in my absence.”

• She keeps her world in order with the help of a trusted app on her phone, a digital planner that’s become her daily anchor. Every morning, she opens it to check her schedule: tests, meetings, practices, and classes all mapped out clearly. It’s her way of staying grounded amidst the chaos. She adds smaller tasks and upcoming deadlines as they come, making sure nothing slips through the cracks.

Everyday Model

• For fashion shows and events, Legendary models are required to submit their outfits to the Executive Board for approval. This process ensures that every look is appropriate and aligns with the event’s theme. If a student’s outfit doesn’t meet the standard, the board steps in to help. Offering suggestions, helping them explore options in their closet, or even taking them shopping to find something that works and still reflects their personal style. One experience she shared about a show that didn’t go as planned was during a flash mob performance. There was no DJ present to play the music, which could have completely derailed the event. However, she and her team acted quickly, managing to find a speaker as an alternative. They were able to call someone who came through for them just in time. This quick thinking and teamwork allowed them to pivot smoothly and keep the show going despite the unexpected setback.